Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is used in a wide range of applications, both civilian and military, including inspection, intelligence, reconnaissance and rescue missions. UAV designs range from large fixed wing jets to smaller rotary wing aircraft with one or more rotors. Progress in the electronics industry over the past decades has made it possible to shrink the components necessary for an UAV system to become palm sized, Micro Air Vehicle (MAV). These vehicles can, for example, lift a camera and transmit images, while still being highly maneuverable. The size and maneuverability make MAVs an ideal tool for close range applications, e.g. reconnaissance, inspection and surveillance.
Historically, maneuvering an UAV required a pilot with a remote control and visual confirmation, similar to operating a conventional radio controlled helicopter or airplane. Modern UAVs, however, operate over longer distances and in all environments, rural or urban. Control of a modern UAV therefore rely on transmission from onboard sensors and computing capabilities to a remote unit, containing a display feature, which is operated by the pilot. This, in a first instance, made it possible for the pilot to maneuver the aircraft with a conventional remote control through the received images. Several solutions also utilize the positioning sensors so to make it possible to operate the UAV through a map and waypoint navigation system to achieve an autonomous or semi-autonomous control. The aircrafts flight path may then be generated by setting flight data in association to waypoints on a remote unit before, or even during, a mission. By virtue of a Global Positioning System (GPS) and/or other positioning capabilities, the onboard computing capabilities, known as the autopilot, may then navigate to the waypoint and continue their path to the next waypoint, without any further input necessary. If the pilot observes an object of interest, it is possible for the pilot to set more local waypoints or flightpaths on the go, for example to circle around a building.
An autopilot system is a physical hardware with pre-programmed software that aid in maneuvering modern day remote controlled helicopters and UAVs. The commands to maneuver the aircraft provided by the pilot is received by the autopilot system, and further translated in to actual movement of the aircraft. The autopilot system can also be set up to make independent maneuvers to counteract external factors, as for example wind, or to navigate a predefined path as mentioned. To be able to do this, the autopilot system is dependent on sensor capabilities, which sensor capabilities make the autopilot capable of determining among other vertical and horizontal speed, orientation and the aircrafts position. Coupled with camera features, the autopilot may also be set up to maneuver and monitor the position of the camera. An autopilot system is included in one form or another in almost all modern day remote controlled helicopters and UAVs.
For better operational abilities, mechanic and/or electronic pan and tilt functions have been implemented on the image sensors. These make it possible for the pilot to move the image to focus on a point of interests (POI), independent of the aircraft's flight path and general heading. However, if a pilot depends on the received images to navigate the aircraft, moving the image to view POIs reduce the visual control the pilot have of the aircraft's heading. Setting the flight height and/or waypoints clear of potential obstacles addresses this issue, but this again limits the local observational capabilities and flexibility of UAVs. Setting waypoints or defining flightpaths is also time-consuming, and rely on the pilot having sufficient geo-data present to avoid a compromising situation.
The nature of MAVs imply that they is used to get a real-time overview around, ahead or of a POI in proximity of the pilot. MAVs is often operated under highly stressful conditions in all types of locations and topographies, in ever changing situations. Employing a conventional remote control for the aircraft and camera system or an autonomous system in these situations entails that the aircraft in real life needs to be in a hover state or on a path and/or at a height clear of any possible obstacles to be practical in use. Hence, severely limiting the observational capabilities of the UAV.
Therefore, there is a need for an adaptable system that can simplify the operation of UAVs without compromising the observational capability, flexibility and the support function they may provide.